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What happens to the feed-in tariff if I move energy supplier?

Q: If I choose to change my present energy supplier (dual fuel), will I be able to leave my feed-in tariff (FiT) payment liability with my original supplier or must I take it with me to the new supplier. In either case will I still receive the same FIT rate as I currently receive.

A: There has been a sudden flurry of questions similar to this one – and I suspect that it’s not a coincidence that they come as the big six energy companies play their annual game of raising their prices. As I write, SSE, British Gas and nPower have all announced rises of between 8 and 11%, and sure as night follows day, I predict that it won’t be long before Scottish Power, EDF and E.on join them.

Essentially it’s up to you whether you move the feed-in tariff payment too, or leave it with your existing supplier. Your contract for electricity supply is separate from your contract for FIT supply and you can switch either or both if you want to.

The big six energy companies are obliged to offer the feed-in tariff supply, while smaller companies can choose whether or not they do (and many do). However, the big six do not generally want to be a FIT supplier for someone who buys their energy from one of the other five.

The criteria you use to choose an energy supplier is going to be different from those for FIT supply. For the former, price tends to be the main driver for most people. Some people prefer to buy solely renewable energy and smaller companies such as Ecotricity*, Good Energy*, Green Energy and Ovo Energy all offer renewable tariffs.

The feed-in tariff rate is the same which ever company you choose as a supplier, so here people tend to be more interested in the efficiency and customer service, and how long a company takes to pay. In our survey of readers last year we found that the smaller companies tended to be rated higher on customer service than the bigger ones.

There are a wide number of price comparison and switching websites around – so many that I read recently that the energy companies are citing commissions paid to them as one of the things that contribute to the price rises alongside wholesale price rises and ‘green taxes’. Which? Switch* is free and impartial and allows you to filter by green tariffs.

*These are affiliate links. This means that if you click through and switch, we get a small payment which helps with the running costs of the website.